I have been traveling the world as a journalist and passionate lover of all things fun for 20 years. I have had weekly columns in USA Today and Investors Business Daily, published thousands of articles in leading magazines from Playboy to Popular Science, and am the author of Getting Into Guinness. I am the Contributing Travel Editor for Cigar Aficionado Magazine, the restaurant columnist for USAToday.com, and am a co-founder of TheAPosition.com, the leading golf travel website. I love every kind of travel, active, cultural and leisurely, and my special areas of expertise are luxury hotels and resorts, golf, skiing, food, wine and spirits. I tweet @TravelFoodGuy

The Kentucky Derby: Great Fun And A Must-Do For Your Bucket List

Famous Churchill Downs racetrack - you have to see it in person to appreciate it.

I’ll Have Another, as in I’ll Have Another Kentucky Derby, hopefully as soon as next year.

I just returned from Louisville, Churchill Downs, and “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports,” and I can sum my experience up in one word: Awesome.

I’ve been to a lot of major sporting events, including the Super Bowl, and the argument could be made that the Kentucky Derby is the best of all, mainly because it is about so much more than the race itself. Go to the World Series or NBA Finals and you get 3 hours of entertainment. Much of the fun surrounding the Super Bowl is in the form of invitation-only parties and VIP events, not the game. But the Kentucky Derby is the complete package, morning to night fun – for two full days – at a minimum.

You don’t have to know anything about horse racing to love the Derby, with all its pomp and circumstance. You just need to know how to have a good time, and to appreciate history, the fact that it is the nation’s longest running major sports event, having just wrapped its 138th straight year, a streak unbroken by war or economic crisis. Aided by one of the strongest fields in years, which yielded a predictably exciting finish with longshot I’ll Have Another winning – and suddenly being seriously talked about as Triple Crown contender – the Derby just broke its all-time attendance record.

It is impossible to appreciate the level of emotion surrounding the race on TV. These are the horses and their entourages entering the track prior to the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby.

But for the average fan, strength of field hardly matters. Horse racing is full of upsets and long shots, but the one sure thing is that if you go to the Kentucky Derby you will have a good time.

So what is it all about?

At a minimum, almost every out-of-towner who bothers to make a trip to the Derby also attends the Kentucky Oaks, the day before the Derby and one of the most important days in American horse racing in its own right. The Derby is always held the first Saturday in May, so the Oaks is always the first Friday. That means double the fun, double the hats, double the fancy dress, double the chances to bet, and double the racing action. All of the Derby’s official travel packages include Oaks Day, so whether you simply have seats in the grandstand or a posh VIP table in Millionaire’s Row, if you got it as part of a Derby Experiences package from the track, it covers both days, from open bar to catering.

The Kentucky Oaks is a big fund raiser for cancer charities, so it is traditionally a pink day, where everyone wears something pink, from ties for guys to head to toe bespoke pink outfits with matching hats for the more glamorous women. There is a big fashion show and plenty of stars are in attendance. The lily is the official flower of the Oaks, so you will see lots of them, and just as the Mint Julep is the traditional Derby Day drink, so is the Lily, made with vodka and fruit juices – pink of course – the official drink of the Oaks, though both cocktails, along with anything else you could drink, are free flowing both days.

The Oaks is a great warm up to get your feet under you for Churchill Downs and figure out where everything is, where you want to watch the races from, what to eat, etc. Like Derby day itself, the first race is at 10:30AM and the main event is not until early evening, so some folks come early and enjoy every minute, while others roll in after noon when the more prestigious races get going.

The sign says it all - no venue or event in American sports has the longstanding history of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby.

Post Your Comment

Post Your Reply

Forbes writers have the ability to call out member comments they find particularly interesting. Called-out comments are highlighted across the Forbes network. You'll be notified if your comment is called out.

Comments

I’m sold. I had no idea that regular people could attend and enjoy the Derby. I likened it to the Super Bowl – reserved for corporate sponsor-types with connections. So I’ll anxiously await your next column to see how ordinary travelers get to join the fun. Thanks as usual for a great column.